Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Melitza!

I do not speak Russian, so I cannot tell the Russian tourists to close their eyes, picture everyone they love, and ask G-d to bless them. Instead, I learned one word in Russian, melitza. It means, "Pray."

After they read the Shema in Russian (the card I put in his pocket), I place their hands like this, and then with the tone of a Russian policeman, I say Melitza! Momma! Poppa! Melitza!" They always understand, and they end up standing there for the longest time talking to G-d. I love to see their faces when they do it. One minute of talking to G-d like this is worth at least ten minutes of reading the fixed prayers.

1 comment:

I think 'we' made a very big mistake with the Russian Jews. When they came in the early nineties, it seems the religious world was in shock and did not take the proper initiative. Each 'Russian' (many Ukrainians actually) could have become instant religious. Their mindset was to follow orders. Give them a kipa/hat and a siddur, and they would be a religious majority in the land. Instead, 'we' accused them of being many things, and ignored them. They learnt that they could import their goyish culture, and it is almost impossible to get through to them.

But it is not impossible, and might be even easier than getting to the Israelis who've gone through anti-religion propaganda in the mass media.

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